Construction of pianos



E. N. OGDEN.

CONSTRUCTION OF PIANOS. v

Patented Mar. 3 1 1896 b fl u (No Model.)

GRAHAM. PHOTO-LITHO.WASHINGTUN D c by 0 o O a 0 o O a o Q".\

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST N. OGDEN, OF OI-IATIIAM, NEIV YORK, ASSIGNOR OF TlVO-TIIIRDS TO MAY E. RIDER, OF SAME PLACE, AND MARTIN V. SPRAGUE, OF PITTS- I IEIID, MASSACHUSETTS.

CONSTRUCTION OF PIANOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 557,420, dated March 31, 1896.

Application filed June 18, 1895. Serial No. 558,230, (No model.)

1"0 all whom it may concern: ing-board having suitable openings one or Be it known that I, ERNEST N. OGDEN, a more covers or closing-diaphragms detachcitizen. of the United States, residing at Ohatably mounted upon the sounding-board over ham, in the county of Columbia and State of one or more of said openings.

5 New York, have invented new and useful To enable others to fully understand and Improvements in the Construction of Pianos, to practice my said invention, I will proceed of which the following is a specification. to describe the same in detail, reference be- My present invention relates to certain iming had for this purpose to the accompanying provements in the construction of pianos, my drawings, in which- 10 object being to provide novel and simple Figurel is arear elevation of the sounding means for supporting the sounding-board in board of an ordinary upright piano, showing such manner as to free its vibration at its the supporting-frame. Fig. 2 is a sectional edges by confining the marginal portions of view of the same. said sounding-board at a few points only, The reference-numeral 1 in said drawings I 5 which are separated from each other by comindicates the sounding-board, which may be paratively wide intervals, whereby the vibraof any ordinary or preferred form, my inventions set up in said sounding-board shall be tion making no change therein otherwise than equalized, or nearly so, throughout all its the formation of a suitable number of openparts, in contradistinction to the limited viings 2 of such size, shape, and relative ar- 20 bration at and near the rigidly-clampedmarrangement as may be most suitable. This gin which is common under present forms of feature, however, is fully described, shown, construction. and claimed in a separate application filed by It is a further purpose of my invention to me of even date herewith, Serial No. 553,229. provide a sounding-board with asimple and The sounding-board 1 is supported by a 2 5 novel construction and combination of parts, surrounding frame 3 of rectangular or other whereby the quality, volume, or intensity, suitable form, said frame being formed of and general character of the tone of the inaluminium, glass, compressed wood, pressed strument may be varied in different degrees, pulp, or such other material as may best be according to the requirements of any particuadapted to the purpose in view. From the 30 lar occasion or individual case inner edges of the frame, at suitable inter- My invention consists, first, in providing a vals, are projected brackets or lugs 4, the ends support for a sounding-board which shall of which are connected to the edges of the have connection with the margin of the latter sounding-board in any suitable manner-as, at uniform or substantially uniform interfor example, by screws or rivets. As these 3 5 vals of comparativelywide separation, and in attachments are made at points which are therebyprovidingmarginal openings between compartively distant from each other, it will the edges of the sounding-board and the edges be seen that the marginal parts of the soundof the supporting-frame, said openings being ing-board, instead of being rigidly clamped substantially coextensive with the intervals at all points, as has heretofore been the case between the points of attachment, whereby under known forms of construction, are set 0' I afford a free communication at the margin free and permitted to vibrate in unison with of the sounding-board between the front and the strings,'so that the range of vibration rear of said sounding-board; secondly, to prowill be practically uniform in all parts of the vide a sounding-board with a supportingboard.

45 frame of aluminium, glass, compressed wood, Any person who has sounded the upper 5 moldedpulp,orothersuitablematerial,which note of an ordinary piano must have noted shall have inwardly-projecting brackets, the that the high note produced gives to the ear ends of the latter being connected to the an impression as if the string was partly edges of the sounding-board at suitable inmuffied. This effect is due to the fact that 50 tervals, and, third, to combine with a soundthe two points of connection for the ends of said string are both very near the edge of the sounding-board, and as the edges of the latter are rigidly clamped in pianos as heretofore constructed the sounding-board is prevented from having free vibration, and the power or intensity of the tone, as well as its duration and clearness, are more or less suppressed. By my invention, on the contrary, the marginal portions of the sounding-board between the supporting-brackets 4 are released from the rigid restraint imposed upon the edges of the sounding-board under present methods of construction and permitted to vibrate in unison with the strings to the same or substantially the same degree as all the other parts of the board. The result is that the tones produced by the short strings located close to the edges of the board are as clear, sustained, and of substantially the same duration as any of those produced by those strings which vibrate the central or other portions of said sounding-board.

The sounding-board is provided with a suitable number of openings 5 of such size, form, and relative arrangement as may be preferred. Over one or more than one of these openings I propose to apply a cover or diaphragm 6 of aluminium, glass, compressed wood, pressed pulp, or any other suitable material, said cover being detachably mounted on the sounding-board in any manner preferred. The number of the openings thus covered will depend upon the eifect to be produced. I can best describe this effect by terming the covers 6 means for modifying the quality and volume of the tone according to the conditions under which each piano is to be used, as Well as in compliance with the taste of the purchaser. In a large apartment or hall the full volume and power of the instrument can be obtained by simply removing all the covers, and for small rooms these qualities may be regulated by applying a suitable number of such covers. Their weight is so small that they do not overload the sounding-board and thus tend to reduce its range and duration of vibration.

Between the points of attachment of the brackets at the frame 3 is cut away, forming openings 7 of any suitable form and size, but preferably. coextensive with the space between the points of attachment of said brackets 4. These openings give such free communication to the bodies of air upon both sides of the sounding-board that there is no impediment ofiere d to its free vibration or to the dissemination of the acoustic vibrations.

hat I claim is" 1. An upright piano having a supportingframe for a sounding-board consisting of a rectangular structure having an inwardly-scalloped edge, the inwardly-projecting brackets between the scallops being rigidly connected to the edge of the sounding-board, the open spaces. between said brackets affording free communication between the front and rear of the sounding-board, substantially as described.

2. A sounding-board for a piano having openings formed therein and coverings or diaphragms suitably connected to, or mounted 011 said sounding-board in such manner as to cover one or more of said openings and to be detachable therefrom, substantially as dcscribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesscs.

ERNEST N. OGDEN. lVitnesses:

JAMES L. NoRRIs,

J. GRANVILLE MEvERs, Jr. 

